Lawn mower



Nov. 12, 1935. J. A. NUGEN ET AL LAWN MOWER Filed Nov. 19, 1934 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 -ATNT OFFIE LAWN MOWER John A. Nugen, Auburn, 1nd.,

and William Application November 19, 1934, Serial No. 753,626 claims. (o1. sii-.294)

This invention relates to lawn mowers, and has special reference to improvements in lawn mowers for raising destructive and obnoxious plants and weeds that creep along and lie close against 5 the surface of the ground, so that they will be cutoi close to their roots by the usual rotative reel blade-s of the usual lawn mowers; and an object of the invention is to provide a device for use in lawn mowers of familiar construction io whereby the destructive and obnoxious plants and weeds will be raised and out oit and discharged by the lawn mower during the operation thereof in cutting or mowing the ornamental and other desirable grass growing on the lawn.

Specifically, this invention is an improvement over the subject matter disclosed in William Burcke Patent No. 1,935,013, granted November Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig.V l is a plan view of that element ci the present invention which raises and supports the obnoxious plants and weeds in position so that they will be cut oit by the rotating reel blades.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the complete accessory connected with the stationary cutter with which reel blades cooperate. f

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, a conventional form of rotating reel also being shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to that shown in Fig. 3, the parts being shown in a diiierent adjustment and the rotating reel being omitted.

The usual supporting bar l of the lawn mower has end portions 2 provided for attaching the bar i rigidly to the frame (not shown) of the lawn mower. The lawn mower frame, as is well known, also supports a rotating shaft 3 having frame members l attached thereto and the reel cutting blades attached to said frame members il.

The cutting bar 6 is attached to the supporting bar l and has its forwardly extended edge l arranged to constitute a shear edge to cooperate with the blades 5 during the rotation of the reel in which said blades 5 are mounted, in order to cut the grass and other vegetation.

Our present invention comprises a bar 8 having in connection with its forward edge a series of downwardly and forwardly extended fingers 9 provided at their forward ends with upwardly curved terminal portions ll sharply pointed at their ends l2. The lower surface of each of the iingers il is provided with a rounded wall I3 running rearwardly from the point l2 so as to slide smoothly over and along the surface of the ground.

t has been found desirable or necessary to vary the angle of inclination of the fingers 9 with respect' to the cutting bar E to obtain effec- I" tive operation of the lawn mower in cutting different kinds of creeping grasses and vegetation. The provision of the upwardly curved ends l l terinating in the sharp points i2 and provided withthe rounded lower wall i3 permits proper l0 variation in the angle of inclination of the fingers to raise the different kinds of creep-ing grasses and vegetation without raising objectionable and damaging elements and substances, such as broken sticks and the like. The forward margin of 15' the bar 8 and the rear ends of the fingers 9 are lformed with a downwardly and forwardly inclined wall ill terminating in a vertical wall i5 across the upper side of each Enger d and against or adjacent to the forward cutting edge 'l of the 2O cutter bar 6.

The oar 8 is formed with a series of holes it -through which the stems of screws il pass, the

heads of said screws 'l being against the underside oi and supporting the bar 8, while the 25 threaded ends of said stems extend through the cutter bar 6 and screw into the bar l. Thus, the screws i'lwill support the bar 8 and the cutter bar 5 in connection with the supporting bar i.

The rear portion of the bar 8 is formed with a 3Q number of threaded holes I8 which are substantially rearwardly beyond theV holes l'o. A screw l@ is screwed into each of the holes ES, and the upper ends of said screws I9 press against the cutter bar 6. 35

By adjusting the screws I'l and i9 in the relationship shown in Fig. 3, in which the upper ends ci the screws I9 do not extend above the upper surface of the bar 8 and in which relationship the screws li clamp said bar 8, the cutter bar ii 40 and the bar l in rigid relationship, the fingers $3 are supported in their lowest position; whereas, by releasing the screws li to the proper extent and screwing the screws i 9 upwardly to the relationship shown in Fig. 4, the fingers 9 will loe supi- 45 ported in a higher position. This variation in the angle of inclination of the fingers 9 is optional and said fingers may be adjusted in any desired angle of inclination from their extreme upper position to their extreme lower position. 50

Further, the relationship of the upper walls 2D to the sharp cutting edge 'l of the cutter bar 6 prevents the cut grass and vegetation from remaining across the fingers 9 and massing to such an extent .as to choke or stop the lown mower by preventing 55 effective rotation of the reel of the cutting blades. It will be noted that the upper walls 20 in all adjustments of the fingers incline upwardly toward the sharp cutting edge l, and that no substantial abutment is provided at the forward edge of the cutter plate that would hold and retain the cut vegetation. Therefore, the relationship of the upper walls 2li to the cutter. bar t constitutes rneans for discharging the cut Vegetation instead of retaining it.

The holes l are of sufficient size to permit the angular inclination of the bar 8 without bending the screws I1.

The construction and arrangement 4of the elements of this invention may be varied within the 'scope of equivalent limits.

We claim:-

1. In a lawn mower, a rigid bar, a cutter plate below and extending forwardly beyond the forward edge of said bar, a bar located adjacent to the underside of said cutter plate, screws engaging said rigid bar and supporting said second bar in said location, a series of fingers integral with and extending downwardly and forwardly from the forward edge of said second bar beyond the forward edge of said cutter plate and having pointed forward ends, and screws engaging said cutter plate and said second bar and cooperating with said rst named screws to hold said second barand thereby said ngers in different angles of inclination with respect to said cutter plate.

2. In a lawn mower, a rigid bar, a cutter plate below and extending forwardly beyond the for- Ward edge of said bar, a bar located adjacent to the underside of said cutter plate, screws engaging said rigid bar and supporting said second bar in said location, a series ot ngers integral with and extending downwardly and orwardly from the forward edge of said second bar beyond the forward edge of said cutter plate and having upwardly curved and pointed torward ends, and screws engaging said cutter pate and said second bar and cooperating with said first named screws to hold said second bar and thereby said lingers in different angles of inclination with respect to said cutter plate and also holding said cutter plate in rigid connection with said first named bar.

3. In a lawn mower, a rigid bar, a cutter plate below and extending forwardly beyond the forward edge of said bar, a bar located below said cutter plate, a series of lingers extending down wardly Vand forwardly from the forward edge of said second bar beyond the forward edge of said cutter plate and having upwardly curved and pointed forward ends, shoulders on said `lingersv cutter plate, a series of lingers extending for-Y wardly from the forward edgeof vsaid second bar beyond the forwardedge or" said cutter plate and having upwardly curved and pointed forward ends pro-vided with rounded under surfaces, screwsfor Y supporting said second bar in rigid relationship with respect to said cutter plate and said first bar, and screws supported by said second bar and engaging said cutter plate to hold said second bar and thereby said lingers in diiierent angles of in# clination with respect to said cutter plate.

5. ln lawn mower, a rigid banacutter plate below and extending forwardly beyond the orward edge ci said bar, a bar located adjacent to the underside or said cutter plate, a series of Fingers extending forwardly from the forward edge of said second bar beyond the forward edge of said cutter plate and having shoulders adjacent to forward edge of said cutter plate and also having rearwardly and upwardly inclined upper walls intersecting said shoulders, screws engaging said rigid bar and said second bar for supporting said second bar and thereby said cutter plate below said rigid bar, and screws for spacing apart the rear edges of said cutter plate and said second bar and cooperating with said'rst named screws to hold said fingers in different angles of inclination with respect to said cutter plate and also supporting said cutter plate and said second bar in connection with said rigid bar.

VJOHN A. NUGEN. WLLIAM BURCKE. 

